Department for Transport

Railways: WiFi

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the data demand per train for onboard WiFi by the completion of the franchise renewal process in 2028.

Paul Maynard: The estimated data demand for on board wi-fi for a train is determined by the average journey duration, number of people on the train and the applications passengers are using. Today, an allowance of 30MBytes per passenger journey equates to 60-100GBytes per train per month, which is expected to rise to 300-500GBytes as demand increases. To ensure that connectivity keeps pace with expected consumer demand, Train Operating Companies (TOC’s) will have an obligation to increase the minimum data allowance by 25% year on year once the service is fully available.

Department for Transport: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the five most visited websites were by staff of his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr John Hayes: The top five most visited websites by staff is set out in the table below. The date range for this information is from 1st January 2016 – 31st December 2016. DfT (c) DVLADVSAVCAMCA google.comhttp://vidio.springserve.comInformation not collectedInformation not collectedgoogle.com msn.comhttp://t.lkqd.netbbci.co.uk google.co.ukhttp://ads.adaptv.advertising.combing.com gstatic.comhttps://hangouts.google.combbc.co.uk twitter.comhttp://event-log.videe.tvcivilservice.gov.uk

Department for Communities and Local Government

Communities and Local Government: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the five most visited websites were by staff of his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold this information in the format requested.

Letting Agents: Fees and Charges

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2017 to Question 60219, whether he has set a date to introduce legislative proposals to ban letting agent fees; and on what date he will begin consultation on details of that ban.

Gavin Barwell: The Government intends to implement the ban on letting agent fees paid by tenants as soon as Parliamentary time allows further to consultation with the sector on the detail of the ban. The consultation will be launched imminently.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Private Rented Housing

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2017 to Question 66455, which options he is considering for the implementation of the private rented property energy efficiency regulations.

Jesse Norman: The Energy Act 2011 requires that the energy efficiency private rented property regulations come into force no later than 1 April 2018. We are working hard to ensure the regulations can be implemented as planned from this date. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has recently published guidance to landlords of non-domestic property on compliance with the minimum standard requirements, and is developing an exemptions register, as required by the Energy Efficiency Regulations 2015. We will set out the detail of how the domestic regulations will be implemented through corresponding guidance for landlords of domestic private rented property. This will be published prior to the launch of the exemptions register for domestic landlords later this year.

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will provide research funding for an assessment of the potential effect of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon on 10 year fishing spawning cycles; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Department considers funding for a range of research activities and is carefully considering the recommendations contained in Charles Hendry’s recent report on tidal lagoons.Any decisions arising from the Review, including whether to proceed with the Swansea Bay project, will need to balance the priorities of security of supply, affordability and meeting our climate change obligations.We understand that Natural Resources Wales are currently examining the developer’s marine licence application.

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether a marine licence has been granted for the proposed development of the  Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.

Jesse Norman: We understand that Natural Resource Wales are currently examining the developer’s marine licence application.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local enterprise partnerships in delivering employment, growth and investment (a) nationally, (b) in the North East and (c) in Easington constituency.

Margot James: Local Enterprise Partnerships are bringing together the public and private sector with universities, colleges and other local organisations, to ensure investment is made where it will generate the most jobs and growth. The Government has invested £379.6m in the North East Local Enterprise Partnership area through three rounds of Growth Deals. The Easington constituency has benefitted directly through the Horden (Peterlee) Station project and the improvement to the A19/A189 Seaham/Murton interchange. Both projects will help the residents of Easington and the North East to access new and existing job opportunities.

Tidal Power

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of alternative forms of tidal energy generation; what the result of the modelling of those alternatives was; what assessment was made of the effect of each such alternative on (a) coastal erosion and (b) sediment build-up; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: In 2010, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) published its feasibility assessment of a scheme to generate electricity from the tides of the Severn estuary. It found that, since the Severn estuary is highly dynamic, and without detailed information on specific projects, it was impossible to predict the impacts of the tidal power schemes surveyed with absolute certainty.Environmental impacts, along with other relevant matters, would be considered as part of the relevant statutory planning processes when consent applications for tidal energy generation projects are submitted.

Self-employed: Temporary Employment

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to tackle the use of self-employed people as agency workers by businesses.

Margot James: A self-employed individual decides how they undertake work. This could include identifying a suitable role via an agency and it is for the work-seeker and agency to agree the type of contract that they will be engaged under. Individuals seeking work through an agency, regardless of circumstances outside of the agency relationship, are protected by the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulation 2003 and the Agency Worker Regulations 2010. The Taylor review on modern employment practices is considering the impact of non-standard working arrangements on employment status and employment rights.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the five most visited websites were by staff of his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Sir Alan Duncan: The sites which received the most hits from centrally monitored computer terminals across the FCO’s UK estate were: an Internal Government Internet site, Google, Google Analytics, Facebook and BBC.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the five most visited websites were by staff of his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department utilises a shared IT platform with the Cabinet Office, as such we cannot extrapolate this information from the data available. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 April 2017 to the Question 69112.The top five websites visited by Cabinet Office (incorporating the Department for Exiting the European Union and 10 Downing Street) in the past 12 months (March 2016 – March 2017) are;http://www.telegraph.co.ukhttps://www.google.co.ukhttp://www.bbc.co.ukhttps://civilservicelearning.civilservice.gov.ukhttp://www.bing.com

Wales Office

Wales Office: Official Hospitality

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department has spent on (a) hotels, (b) hospitality, (c) food and drink and (d) transport in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Guto Bebb: The Departmental spend on hotels, hospitality, food and drink and transport in each of the last five years is set out in the table below:- Financial YearHotels   £Hospitality   £Food and Drink  £Transport*   £2011/1227,30500217,5652012/1335,76505,297262,5132013/1443,09906,836194,5022014/1542,8348,4396,285164,7122015/1619,50605,641114,035 *Spend on transport relates to Ministerial cars, hire cars, rail and air. The expenditure from 2011-12 to 2013-14 includes spend by the Commission on Devolution. The transport costs reduced in 2014-15 and further in 2015-16 with the former Secretary of State for Wales giving up use of his Ministerial car. The impact of these savings is shown in part in financial year 2014-15 and in full in financial year 2015-16. Spend on hospitality and food and drink relate to Ministerial and Commission on Devolution functions.

Department for Education

Overseas Students: Loans

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2017 to Question 65926, on overseas students: loans, for what reason there was an increase in the outstanding balance from 2014-15 to 2015-16; and for what reasons the 18 per cent increase in the outstanding balance sits alongside an 11 per cent increase in the amount lent.

Joseph Johnson: The total amount loaned out as English student loans in the financial year 2015-16 increased by 11% compared to the financial year 2014-15 due to increasing numbers of students receiving support and a higher proportion of those students being entitled to more financial support as they are on post-2012 tuition fee loan arrangements.The main reason the outstanding balance of English student loans was 18% higher at the end of the financial year 2015-16 was that more was loaned out (and therefore added to the outstanding balance) than was repaid in the financial year 2015-16.A more complete breakdown of the English student loan book can be found in table 1 of the Student Loans Company (SLC) Statistical First Release (SFR) Student Loans in England.http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment/england.aspx

Pre-school Education: Apprentices

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that apprentices currently enrolled on the Early Years Educator programme are able to obtain their Level 3 qualification by fulfilling the requirement of A* to C grades in GCSE English and mathematics.

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Skills Funding Agency website reflects the latest guidance on entry requirements for early years educators.

Robert Halfon: Individuals cannot complete and claim certification for any apprenticeship, including the Early Years Educator (EYE) programme, until all components of the apprenticeship (including English and Maths, where appropriate) are achieved. The current GCSE English and Maths requirements for EYE staff at level 3 have been broadened to include level 2 functional skills alongside other suitable qualifications. This is in response to the government consultation on the literacy and numeracy requirements for EYE staff and as part of the early years workforce strategy. The Skills Funding Agency will amend the relevant web pages, apprenticeship funding rules and the Individualised Learner Record validation rules accordingly so that anyone who started an early years apprenticeship on or after 1 September 2014 can now meet English and Maths requirements through the achievement of level 2 functional skills or other suitable qualifications.

Teachers: Recruitment

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the budget for the Get Into Teaching campaign was for (a) research, insight-gathering and audience testing, (b) creative development and production, (c) media buying, (d) website design, construction and management, (e) public relations, (f) field activity and partnerships and (g) evaluation in 2016-17.

Nick Gibb: The budget for the Get Into Teaching campaign for the 2016-17 financial year is shown in the following table:Financial Year budget (1 Apr - 31 Mar)2016-17(a) Research, insight-gathering and audience testing£217,000(b) Creative development and production£1,852,000(c) Media buying£10,985,000(d) Website design, construction and management£578,000(e) Public relations£200,000(f) Field activity and partnerships£0(g) Evaluation£138,000

Design and Technology: GCE A-level

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students eligible for free school meals have taken GCSE  design and technology in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students eligible for free school meals have taken GCSE  computer science in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The tables below provide the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals with entries in computer science and design and technology GCSEs[1] in each of the last five years. Entries to design and technology GCSEs by FSM statusState funded schoolsPupils at the end of Key Stage 4 (Excluding further education colleges)Years 2012 to 20162016 data is revised all other years are final  Pupils eligible for free school mealsDesign and Technology[2]Number of pupilsNumber of pupils enteredPercentage of pupils201280,19023,51829201385,17423,36427201480,62723,18829201576,46021,59128201672,35018,84626Source: Key Stage 4 attainment data  Entries to computer science GCSEs by FSM statusState funded schoolsPupils at the end of Key Stage 4 (Excluding further education colleges)Years 2012 to 20162016 data is revised all other years are final  Pupils eligible for free school mealsComputer ScienceNumber of pupilsNumber of pupils enteredPercentage of pupils201280,190750201385,1743310201480,6271,5102201576,4602,9624201672,3506,1218Source: Key Stage 4 attainment data  [1] Based on GCSE examinations only - excludes equivalents.[2] Design and Technology entries includes at least one of D&T Electronic products, Food Technology, Graphic Materials, Systems & Control, Textiles Technology, Technology engineering or Product Design.

Children: Communication Skills

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children did not meet the required standards in speech and language by key stage 1 in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Barnsley, (c) Yorkshire and Humber and (d) the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: While speech and language are important components of the English National Curriculum and assessments, the Department only collects data of an overall expected standard in reading and writing. Information on the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading and writing is published at national, regional and local authority level as part of the “Phonics screening check and Key Stage 1 assessment” statistical first release.[1]Parliamentary constituency level information is not available.The Department for Education produces statistics on England only. The responsibility for education statistics in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales lies with each devolved administration. [1] KS1 for 2015/16: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/577812/SFR42_2016_KS1_LA_tables.xlsx (Table 18 by local authorities’)

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much was spent on average per pupil in schools in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Putney constituency and (c) the UK in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

Nick Gibb: School-level figures for spending per pupil are published annually. The most recent figures are available at: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/download-data (for maintained schools in financial year 2015-16, select: a) the academic year 2015 to 2016; b) data for All of England; and c) Spend per pupil (grouped data)),and at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-and-expenditure-in-academies-in-england-2014-to-2015 (for academy schools in academic year 2014/15).

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Port Talbot

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what category of offenders will be detained in the proposed new prison at Port Talbot.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she  has made of the cost of designing and building a new prison in Port Talbot.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the cost to the local police service of a new prison in Port Talbot.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the capacity of the proposed new prison in Port Talbot will be.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the number of jobs which will be created during the (a) construction and (b) operation of the proposed new prison in Port Talbot.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the cost to the local health service of a new prison in Port Talbot.

Elizabeth Truss: We will close down ageing and ineffective prisons, replacing them with buildings fit for today’s demands. We are investing £1.3bn to build up to 10,000 new prison places with better education facilities and other rehabilitative services. On 22 March 2017, my Rt Hon friend, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice announced plans for the building of four new prisons in England and Wales, replacing old and overcrowded establishments with new, fit for purpose buildings. As well as creating modern establishments fit for the twenty-first century, the proposed new builds will act as a boost to regional economies across the country – creating up to two thousand jobs in the construction and manufacturing industries and new opportunities for local businesses. The plans include a new prison in Port Talbot in South Wales. The Ministry of Justice intends to apply for planning permission soon. At this stage it is too early to give an estimate of the cost of designing and building the new prison but we will seek to ensure value for money for taxpayers. With regard to funding arrangements for health and police services, we will engage with relevant public sector partners to ensure they are able to develop suitable plans for the new prison.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the reoffending rate is for each community rehabilitation company by category of offence.

Elizabeth Truss: One year proven reoffending rates for the first cohort managed under our probation reforms will be published in the quarterly proven reoffending statistics bulletin in October 2017, which will be available on GOV.uk. Interim Payment by Results figures, based on a shorter reoffending period than the final results, were published on 27 October 2016 and 26 January 2017. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/proven-reoffending-statistics-quarterly-january-to-december-2014 and https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/proven-reoffending-statistics-april-2014-to-march-2015

Leader of the House

Short Money

John Spellar: To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2017 to Question 67233, on Short money, when he plans to publish the breakdown of staff salaries paid for from that Short money funding allocation.

Mr David Lidington: Parties in receipt of Short Money are required to provide the Accounting Officer of the House of Commons with a certificate of an independent auditor to confirm that all expenses in respect of which the party received financial assistance were incurred exclusively in relation to the party’s parliamentary business. In addition, parties must now provide information relating to staffing and other costs as set out in resolutions dated 23 March 2016 and 7 July 2016. The deadline for providing this information for the 2016/17 financial year is 31 May 2017 and details will be added to Parliament’s website as soon as is practically possible after this date.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Brexit

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2017 to Question 65637, non Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Brexit, what (a) EU agencies and other organisations are within her Department's remit, (b) staff time was spent on engagement with those bodies and (c) financial resources were spent on engagement with those bodies in 2015-16.

Matt Hancock: The following EU agencies and other organisations are within DCMS’ remit:European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA)The Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (the BEREC Office)European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGAMS)Data Protection SupervisorEuropean Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

Cultural Heritage: North East

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many artefacts and items held by the (a) National Gallery, (b) British Museum and (c) British Library relate to or have their origin in the North East of England.

Matt Hancock: The information requested about these museums' collections is not available at this level of detail, due to their size and complexity. However, the British Museum and the British Library do hold significant artefacts with a connection to the North East of England, such as the Vindolanda Tablets in the BM and the Lindisfarne Gospels in the BL.

Digital technology: Training

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2017 to Question 66826, on digital technology: training, what estimate her Department has made of the number of adults who lack core digital skills who will be able to receive training through the Digital Skills Entitlement throughout its duration.

Matt Hancock: The Digital Skills Entitlement will ensure that adults who lack core digital skills can access specified basic digital skills training free of charge where it is made available as part of the publicly funded adult education offer. The level at which this entitlement will be set is still to be decided and we will consult in due course.

Charitable Donations

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect on charitable donations of the Information Commissioner's Office investigation into wealth screening by fundraising services.

Mr Rob Wilson: The Information Commissioner’s Office’s investigations into charities’ fundraising practices, including wealth screening, have focused on non-compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003. We have not made an assessment of any effect on charitable donations resulting from compliance with existing law.

Data Protection

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government has conducted contingency planning in the event that the UK does not secure a data adequacy decision with the EU prior to exiting the EU.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with her European counterparts on securing a data adequacy agreement with the EU.

Matt Hancock: As negotiations to leave the EU have not begun, it would be inappropriate to speculate in any detail as to what arrangements we will seek to put in place. Our objective is to ensure continued data flows between the EU and countries outside the EEA once the UK leaves the EU. In doing so we will be considering all the available options that will provide legal certainty for businesses and citizens alike.

Data Protection

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has held discussions with multinational companies operating within the UK on implementing binding corporate rules in order to enable the flow of personal data after the UK leaves the EU.

Matt Hancock: We have had various discussions with multinational companies operating within the UK, which among other things, have included discussions on future data flows between the UK and EU.

Electronic Commerce

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has met local councils to discuss making empty buildings available for use by digital start-ups.

Matt Hancock: DCMS awarded Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield councils over £11m of grant funding in March 2016 to refurbish existing buildings to establish and develop new work space, business incubation and other services for entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) based in the North of England whose ambitions and business models rely on digital technologies and their applications. My officials regularly meet with their counterparts to discuss progress with these projects. The Government encourages Local Authorities to think creatively about actions they can take to contribute to the vitality and vibrancy of our town centres. Specifically, local authorities can act as a focal point for economic regeneration efforts in local areas, including making better use of the public sector estate to provide a place for business incubators.

Digital Technology: Training

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2017 to Question 66826, how many of the 4 million digital technology training opportunities referred to in that Answer will be providing basic digital skills.

Matt Hancock: We envisage that a significant proportion of the 4 million digital skills training opportunities that were pledged by industry in the UK Digital Strategy will focus on the basic digital skills that individuals need to benefit from being online. These includes pledges made by Lloyds Banking Group to provide face to face training for 2.5 million individuals, as well as SMEs and charities in digital skills - including internet banking and Barclays to expand the number of its digital eagles which help people build their internet skills.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the five most visited websites were by staff of her Department in the last year for which figures are available.

George Eustice: The IT service provider contracted by Defra provides services to other public authorities under the same contract, and in some cases at the same premises. Therefore, the information provided below also includes websites visited by staff from these authorities, as it is not possible to distinguish their visits from those made by Defra staff. Information on websites visited is only available from the service provider for a 6 month period.Top 5 Websites visited in the past 6 months (28 September – 27 March 2017)1. bbc.co.uk2. genesis.naturalengland.gsi.gov.uk3. edigital.survey.com4. defra.condecosoftware.com5. google.co.uk

Squirrels

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to control and reduce the number of grey squirrels.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The management and control of grey squirrels is a devolved matter.The Government is committed to working with land owners and other organisations as part of its strategy to support targeted grey squirrel control in the UK.Defra and the devolved administrations are signatories to the UK Squirrel Accord, which aims to promote a coordinated approach to controlling the grey squirrels and securing the future of our red squirrels and woodlands. Working as part of the UK Squirrel Accord supports the Government to deliver on its grey squirrel action plan for England announced by the Forestry Commission in December 2014.As part of the Government’s long terms strategy for controlling grey squirrel populations, the Animal and Plant Health Agency is currently exploring the potential for developing a fertility control method for grey squirrels. Defra has provided £39,000 to support the initial stages of this research.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Deer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential link between wild deer and the incidence of TB in cattle.

George Eustice: Routine post-mortem surveillance for TB in deer carcases has been conducted nationally for many years. Visible lesions of TB are notifiable to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who will facilitate the collection and submission for laboratory culture of any affected tissues. Positive culture results are relatively rare. Confirmed TB cases in wild deer may nevertheless trigger enhanced TB surveillance around that case, both to identify whether there has been any spread of disease to cattle herds and to limit the number of affected animals.

Food: EU Law

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to repeal EU legislation on the size, shape and appearance of fruit and vegetables for sale in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: As we prepare to leave the EU, we are looking at removing rules that are unnecessarily burdensome, focusing instead on what works best for the UK. We want to free our farmers to grow more, sell more and export more British food, whilst upholding our high standards for the environment. No decisions have been taken in relation to individual pieces of legislation, including EU Marketing Standards for fresh fruit and vegetables. We will consult widely with all those affected before making any changes.

Fisheries

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2017 to Question 908267, if she will publish a list of the fish stocks of UK interest for which total allowable catches (TACs) are set with advice on maximum sustainable yield (MSY) provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea; and how many of those TACs she expects will be fished at or below MSY in 2017.

George Eustice: The information is in the table attached. 



PQ 69594 - MSY table
(PDF Document, 109.43 KB)

Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of diesel engines on air quality in (a) London and (b) each other region and constituent part of the UK.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle high levels of air pollution (a) in and (b) outside of London.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Last year, the Government published the conclusions to its Vehicle Emissions Testing Programme, which provided a valuable insight into diesel car emissions on our roads. Research found higher levels of nitrogen oxides emissions in test track and real world driving conditions for a range of the best-selling passenger diesel cars compared to laboratory testing. The conclusions of this investigation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-emissions-testing-programme-conclusions In addition, an assessment of the scale of the air quality problem and its sources within specific regions across the UK was set out in the Government’s 2015 national air quality plan for NO2 and accompanying zone plans, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/air-quality-plan-for-nitrogen-dioxide-no2-in-uk-2015 The Mayor of London has responsibility for achieving air quality standards and objectives in London. The Mayor provides the framework and guidance which boroughs use to review and improve air quality within their areas. The former Mayor announced the Ultra Low Emission Zone back in 2015. The current Mayor has recently consulted on the introduction of an Emissions Surcharge (the so-called “T-charge”) for older, more polluting vehicles driving into and within central London. Later this year he has indicated his intention to consult on proposals to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone out to the North and South Circular Roads and bring forward its introduction earlier than 2020, along with other measures to improve air quality in London. More widely, the Government is firmly committed to improving the UK’s air quality and cutting harmful emissions. That is why we have committed over £2 billion since 2011 to reduce transport emissions and the Autumn Statement provided a further £290 million to support greener transport. In light of both updated information on real world emissions from diesel vehicles and the High Court judgement last year, we will be publishing a revised air quality plan for consultation by 24 April and a final plan by 31 July. In addition, we are developing the Air Pollution Action Plan. This is to tackle the five main pollutants: sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, ammonia and fine particulate matter. The UK has agreed legally binding national ceilings for emissions of these pollutants by 2020 and 2030. The Government is considering how all sectors of the UK economy can contribute to these ambitious targets.

Home Office

Organised Crime: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to ensure that the International Anti-Corruption Co-ordination Centre liaises with the Northern Ireland authorities over organised criminal activity across the land border with the Irish Republic.

Mr Ben Wallace: At the London Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016 the UK committed to establishing the new International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC). The IACCC will be hosted by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in London and will bring together specialist law enforcement officers from multiple foreign jurisdictions into a single location to coordinate the global law enforcement response to allegations of grand corruption. The NCA leads the UK's fight to cut serious and organised crime. As officers from the NCA will be permanent members of the new IACCC any allegations of grand corruption requiring a global law enforcement response will be automatically referred to the IACCC. The IACCC does not become operational until April 2017. You will lso be aware that as part of the Fresh Start agreement the NCA is committed to working closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland and HM Revenue and Customs to prioritise investment in the investigative capacity to tackle criminality linked to paramilitary groups, including those in border areas, and have submitted a proposal for consideration to be part of a team with the three agencies working closely together. Alongside the Fresh Start agreement a Joint Agency Task Force was established that is led by senior officers from PSNI and An Garda Síochána and will enhance the operational response to cross-border criminality, of which the NCA is a member. Finally, a response to allegations of corruption in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic would not normally need to involve the IACCC as there are already strong bilateral law enforcement relationships in place. However, the NCA would consider the appropriate response to allegations of corruption in consultation with Police Service Northern Ireland in Northern Ireland and in liaison with An Garda Síochána in the Irish Republic.

Counter-terrorism: Cryptography

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has held discussions with Counter Terrorism Command on encryption technology.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation she has conducted with (a) financial services firms, (b) legal services firms, (c) the technology sector and (d) identity verification providers on her policy to abolish end-to-end encryption.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been conducted of the consequences for (a) the UK economy and (b) national security of banning end-to-end encryption.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Government is keen to ensure that the correct balance is struck between protecting information online and the need for our police and intelligence agencies to read, subject to appropriate authorisation, encrypted messages of those who plan and commit terrorist attacks and serious crimes when it is both necessary and proportionate to do so. We continue to work with all those with an interest in this issue, from law enforcement and the security and intelligence agencies to communications service providers.It is important to remember that we already have well-established, constructive working relationships with major technology companies. And we will continue to engage with them, along with other partners, to find a solution that both permits law enforcement and the security and intelligence agencies to get the information they need, whilst also protecting privacy.Last week’s attack has highlighted the need for a proper public debate on this issue. The Government will be working with internet companies to ensure they fulfil their moral and social responsibility to help our police and security services to keep us all safe.

Marriage Certificates: Mothers

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25738, what recent steps her Department has taken to amend marriage certificates to include mothers' names.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 December 2016, UIN 55490.

Immigrants

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22366, how many migrants granted leave to remain in the UK did not have no recourse to public funds conditions imposed on them because of exceptional circumstances in each year since 2010-11.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I am sorry, but data is not held in the requested format and to establish whether a migrant did not have the no recourse to public funds condition imposed due to exceptional circumstances would require individual examination of records. This would incur disproportionate cost.Total grants of leave to remain can be found in table ex_01_q in the Home Office’s Immigration Statistics October - December 2016 release, available for download at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2016 with the data tables athttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2016/list-of-tables#extensions

Asylum: Housing

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the Home Affairs Select Committee report, Asylum accommodation, published on 17 January 2017.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government is carefully considering the Twelfth Report of the Home Affairs Select Committee and will respond in due course.

Social Media: Counter-terrorism

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her public statement of 26 March 2017, what her Department's definition of necessary hashtags is.

Sarah Newton: The Home Secretary was referring to image hashing, the process of detecting the recurrence an image or video online. Hashing has proved effective in the removal of images of child sexual exploitation and has been used by a number of organisations including the Internet Watch Foundation and INTERPOL. In December 2016 at the EU IT Forum, Facebook announced the development of a cross-industry shared hashing database to improve the detection and removal of terrorist content online. The implementation of this database will help to clear large caches of known terrorist content from a range of online platforms. The Home Secretary is continuing to challenge Communications Service Providers to improve the automation of detection and subsequent removal of new terrorist content online with the formation of a new industry led forum which will, amongst other things, lead on technical innovations.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Housing

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) service family accommodation dwellings and (b) single living accommodation bed spaces there are in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland.

Harriett Baldwin: The quantities of Service Family Accommodation dwellings are shown below as of March 2017.  Number of Service Family AccommodationEngland43,616Wales1,087Scotland3,279Northern Ireland1,566Total49,548 The approximate quantities of Single Living Accommodation bed spaces are shown below as of 2016.  Number of Single living AccommodationEngland113,100Wales2,600Scotland7,700Northern Ireland2,600Total126,000

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 2012.

Harriett Baldwin: The following table shows the Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure with UK industry in current prices broken down by region for financial years 2013-14 to 2015-16.   Financial Year (£million)2013-142014-152015-16England16,69816,73616,275Scotland1,3031,3931,507Wales765924870Northern Ireland10611192  Figures in this table have been rounded to the nearest £1 million. The MOD does not hold the data for 2011-12 and 2012-13 because the Department stopped making estimates of regional direct expenditure after 2007-08 as they did not directly support our policymaking or military operations. In 2015-16 these statistics were reintroduced in order to help monitor some of the initiatives set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review. A new methodology was developed and applied to the most recent three complete Financial Years. Data for 2016-17 will be published later in 2017 and annually thereafter.

Ministry of Defence: Official Hospitality

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on (a) hotels, (b) hospitality, (c) food and drink and (d) transport in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Harriett Baldwin: It is not possible to separate out hotel expenditure from food and drink expenditure. The table below shows the total Ministry of Defence (MOD) spend on accommodation and subsistence for financial years 2010-11 to 2014-15.MOD expenditure on accommodation and subsistence2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-15£85,886,070£76,440,645£80,739,551£80,013,645£78,769,706 The amount spent on hospitality is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The MOD’s expenditure on travel and transport for financial years 2010-11 to 2014-15 is shown in the table below. MOD expenditure on travel and transport2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-15£193,872,171£191,504,947£185,243,712£132,405,520£142,696,241 All staff incurring business expenses of any kind must demonstrate the highest standards of financial propriety and a level of restraint that is commensurate with being a Crown Servant, and sensitive to the need to give full value for money to the taxpayer and maximise the funding available for the front line. The MOD has driven down spending on business travel from around £300 million in 2009-10 to around £200 million a year now.

Babcock International

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has agreed not to enforce the Key Performance Indicators with Babcock while the current industrial action is underway.

Harriett Baldwin: We do not comment on the detailed terms and conditions of the contractual arrangements with our suppliers as to do so would prejudice the commercial interests of the parties involved.

Middle East: Islamic State

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made any changes to the definition of civilian casualty in relation to British military action against Daesh in Iraq and Syria since 1 January 2017.

Harriett Baldwin: No.

Middle East: Islamic State

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilians have been killed or injured by British airstrikes against Daesh in Iraq and Syria since 1 January 2017.

Harriett Baldwin: We have not seen any evidence that UK airstrikes have been responsible for causing civilian casualties in Iraq or Syria since 1 January 2017. After each strike, we perform a detailed battle damage assessment which includes video evidence which is used to assess the success of the mission.None of the allegations we have received so far have been found to contain any evidence that RAF airstrikes have caused civilian casualties. While no military operations come without risk, we take all steps necessary to minimise the risk of causing civilian causalities and avoidable damage to civilian infrastructure. All weapons employed by RAF aircraft are delivered in strict accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict and within rigorous Rules of Engagement.

Armed Forces: Nuclear Engineering

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the pinch point trades his Department is monitoring relate to nuclear; and what the (a) liability, (b) strength and (c) shortfalls in real numbers and percentage figures are for those trades.

Harriett Baldwin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Veterans, Reserves and Personnel (Mark Lancaster) gave on 26 January 2017 to Question 61198 to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones).



61198 - WQnA extract on Armed Forces
(Word Document, 14.21 KB)

Islamic State

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what strategic and tactical changes have been made to coalition operations against Daesh since the inauguration of President Trump.

Harriett Baldwin: In March 2017, US Secretary of State Tillerson hosted the first meeting of all 68 members of the Global Coalition against Daesh since 2015, reaffirming the determination to intensify and accelerate operations to defeat Daesh militarily, stabilise liberated areas, disrupt the flow of foreign fighters, disrupt Daesh's finances, and to counter their propaganda, working with and through local forces.

Reserve Forces: Pay

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 2.68 of the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body 46th Report, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on tax codes for Reserves; and what steps his Department is taking to review that matter.

Harriett Baldwin: Ministry of Defence (MOD) and HM Treasury officials have been working together since 2015 to improve processes for Reservist personnel, particularly for those mobilising from and demobilising back into civilian employment. As a result, new internal procedures have been introduced and guidance and instructions issued. The MOD will continue to review the impact of this revised guidance on Reservist personnel to ensure the new guidelines are operating effectively and see if any further improvements are required. Current guidance on the rights and responsibilities of Reservists and employers, including payroll reporting, can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/employee-reservist

Armed Forces: Training

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 2.9 of the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body 46th Report, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that service personnel are trained to service and repair newly acquired equipment.

Harriett Baldwin: The single Services are required to consider the impact of any new equipment or upgrade across all the Defence Lines of Development (DLODs). One of these is the training DLOD. Consequently, when new equipment is introduced or upgraded there is a requirement for a training needs analysis which breaks down new training requirement(s). This looks at any training gap against current training and develops training solutions, and recommends an optimal one based on cost, benefit and risk. This process is conducted in accordance with the defence systems approach to training process, which is governed by a steering group of stakeholders from across the DLODs who endorse the training solution and then ensure any required changes are implemented.

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many engineering graduates and apprentices have been recruited to his Department's civilian workforce and trained as nuclear specialists in each of the last five years.

Harriett Baldwin: This data is not routinely collated but it is estimated that the number of engineering graduates and apprentices that have been recruited or migrated into the Ministry of Defence's civilian workforce, specifically to train in nuclear specialisms, has grown from fewer than 10 to around 30 per year since 2012.

Afghanistan: Interpreters

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the safety in Afghanistan of Afghan interpreters who previously worked for the Government.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government recognises the vital role local staff, including interpreters, played in operations in Afghanistan, and its debt of gratitude to them. As part of that, we have a permanent expert team based in Kabul to investigate claims from local staff who believe their safety is threatened as a result of their work with the UK. They assist with security advice, relocations to safe areas within Afghanistan and, where necessary, relocation to the UK.

HM Treasury

Third Sector: Tax Allowances

Caroline Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has received any advice on the admissibility of Social Investment Tax Relief for community-owned renewable energy projects under EU State Aid Rules from the European Commission or other relevant organisations.

Jane Ellison: At Autumn Statement 2015 the Government announced the exclusion of all energy generation, including community energy projects, from the tax advantaged venture capital schemes with effect from 6 April 2016 and from the Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR) scheme when it is enlarged. The SITR scheme will be enlarged with effect from 6 April 2017 under the provisions of the Finance (No. 2) Bill. This was a domestic policy decision, taken in response to strong and growing evidence of such investments being used for tax planning.

Transfer Pricing

Margaret Hodge: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has discontinued the publication of annual transfer pricing statistics.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs has not discontinued the publication of these statistics. The Department intends to publish the transfer pricing statistics shortly.

Treasury: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the five most visited websites were by staff of his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Simon Kirby: Due to the manner in which access to individual website pages is recorded, the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Overseas Trade

Richard Graham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many UK companies there are with Authorised Economic Operator status.

Richard Graham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many companies have applied for Authorised Economic Operator status in each of the last five years.

Richard Graham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average length of time taken to process an application for Authorised Economic Operator status was in each year of the last five years; and whether there are target times for the processing of such applications.

Jane Ellison: On 28 March 2017 the UK had 667 businesses holding Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status. During the last five complete calendar years the number of applications received by HM Revenue and Customs and the average time taken to issue a decision are as follows:  20122013201420152016Applications received55455891300Average time taken to issue a decision (days)12396124120128 As of 28 March 2017, there had been 32 UK AEO applications received for 2017. There has been a significant increase in applications since the introduction of the Union Customs Code from 1 May 2016. The Union Customs Code provides a period of 120 days for an AEO decision to be issued. A further 60 day extension is allowed where the customs authority considers it necessary, providing a total of 180 days if required.

Treasury: Official Hospitality

Justin Madders: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department has spent on (a) hotels, (b) hospitality, (c) food and drink and (d) transport in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Simon Kirby: The breakdown of costs for the last five years for hotels, hospitality, food and drink and transport in the last five years can be found in the table below. Financial yearHotelHospitalityTransport2012-13£111,255£6,224£1,003,8252013-14£154,516£12,568£1,095,9452014-15£149,207£8,994£1,097,9832015-16£159,673£24,133£1,164,9832016-17*£180,126£11,030£1,248,062*the 2016-17 costs does not reflect the complete financial year as March 2017 figures are not yet available. The information requested for food and drink cannot be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Martyn Day: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2017 to Question 58873, what the timetable is for formal ratification of the World Health Organisation Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

Martyn Day: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the announcement in the Spring Budget 2017 on the use and ownership of tobacco manufacturing machinery, whether the Government will ratify the World Health Organisation Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

Jane Ellison: A Command Paper setting out the UK’s plans to ratify the World Health Organisation Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products can be laid before Parliament once all the Primary legislation to fully implement the Protocol has been approved by Parliament. While the UK already has many of the Protocol’s requirements in place, the requirement to license tobacco manufacturing machinery has not yet been implemented. Legislation to accomplish this is included in the Finance (No.2) Bill.

Minimum Wage

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) cases of national minimum wage compliance the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) National Minimum Wage Risk Unit has investigated, (b) notices of underpayment have been issued to employers for that non-compliance, (c) employers have been fined the maximum amount for non-compliance and (d) employers have been taken to civil court or an employment tribunal by HMRC for failing to comply with the terms of a notice of underpayment in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.

Jane Ellison: The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) receives them. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW or NLW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reviews all complaints that are referred to the department. In 2015/16, HMRC completed 2667 investigations, identifying 958 instances of non-compliance. In 2016/17, up to 30 September 2016, HMRC had completed 1420 investigations, identifying 521 instances of non-compliance. HMRC do not hold data on Employment Tribunals and action taken through civil courts in a format that would enable provision of the statistics requested.

Landfill Communities Fund

Richard Burden: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the level of funding for the Landfill Communities Fund; and what proportion of the landfill tax will be allocated to providing that funding in each of the next five years.

Jane Ellison: For 2017-18, the value of the LCF has been set at £39.3 million. As a result, the cap on contributions from landfill operators has been increased from 4.2% to 5.3%. The Government expects to maintain this higher 5.3% cap for future years, but this expectation assumes we see continued progress from environmental bodies in terms of reducing administrative costs and the level of unspent funds.

Climate Change Levy

Chris Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes to the climate change levy on the policy to move off-gas grid businesses away from oil, coal and other higher carbon fuels.

Jane Ellison: As announced at Budget 2016, the Government will rebalance the Climate Change Levy (CCL) rates between energy sources from 2019-20. In 2019-20, the electricity to gas rates will move from a ratio of 2.9:1 to 2.5:1. Liquefied Petroleum Gas and other taxable fuel rates will be increased in proportion to the rate for gas. The Government intends to further rebalance the electricity to gas ratio to 1:1 by 2025. This continues to ensure that the CCL encourages the efficient use of energy by businesses and reduces emissions by creating incentives to source electricity from renewable sources.

Import Duties

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a full list of tariffed commodities with their identifying codes and their annual revenues for 2015.

Jane Ellison: The full list of tariffs is contained in the Integrated Tariff of the United Kingdom, which publishes the schedule of duty rates for over 16,600 commodities. This information is available online here:www.gov.uk/trade-tariff/sectionsSpecific information relating to the revenue yield for each commodity code is not collated in a readily available format by HM Revenue and Customs.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Official Hospitality

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on (a) hotels, (b) hospitality, (c) food and drink and (d) transport in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office do not separately record the costs of food and drink and some of this expenditure is likely to be included within the hospitality costs.The costs in each of the last five years of hotels, transport and hospitality are shown below: 2011-122012-132013-142014-152015-16Hotels£35,640£62,117£67,550£108,619£107,531Hospitality£25,466£37,865£24,973£9,905£8,987Transport£223,129£314,755£282,086£306,765£338,992

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the five most visited websites were by staff of his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the five most visited websites were by staff of 10 Downing Street in the last year for which figures are available.

Chris Skidmore: The top five websites visited by Cabinet Office (incorporating the Department for Exiting the European Union and 10 Downing Street) in the past 12 months (March 2016 – March 2017) are; http://www.telegraph.co.ukhttps://www.google.co.ukhttp://www.bbc.co.ukhttps://civilservicelearning.civilservice.gov.ukhttp://www.bing.com

Department for International Trade

Foreign Investment: Dispute Resolution

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations his Department has received from civil society organisations on the EU's proposed multilateral investment court.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations his Department has received from EU institutions and member states on the EU's proposed multilateral investment court.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations his Department has made to EU institutions and member states on the EU's proposed multilateral investment court.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential use of the EU's proposed multilateral investment court.

Greg Hands: The European Commission has proposed a multilateral investment court (MIC) to replace traditional investment dispute settlement mechanisms in individual trade and investment agreements. This initiative is at an early stage and there are as yet no detailed proposals regarding how a MIC would function or be resourced.The Government is engaging with EU institutions and member states through the Council as the proposal is developed. The European Commission has recently completed a public consultation on the MIC. The Government encouraged key stakeholders from across the civil society, business, arbitration and legal communities to engage in this exercise.

Department for International Trade: Internet

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the five most visited websites were by staff of his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Mark Garnier: The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) staff use legacy IT systems provided by a range of partners including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as well as IT systems directly procured since the Department’s incorporation in November 2016.For those systems managed directly by DIT we are investigating how to provide the data requested and will respond to the hon. Member in due course. A copy of my reply will be placed in the libraries of the house.

Department of Health

Diseases

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to NHS trusts and other bodies on ensuring equal provision of access to treatments for rare diseases.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government is committed to the implementation of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases that sets out a long-term strategic vision for the Department and its arm’s length bodies in improving the lives of people with rare diseases and conditions.In their plans for the overall implementation of the Five Year Forward View, NHS England recently announced an intention to publish an implementation plan in 2017/18 setting out its delivery contribution to the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases.Planned improvements for patients with rare disease must take account of the legal duties of the Secretary of State, NHS England and clinical commissioning groups to have regard to the need to reduce health inequalities including in access to, and outcomes from, health services.

NHS: Derelict Land

Mrs Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS England or other NHS bodies on the future use of the derelict land owned by the NHS in Wood Street in High Barnet that was previously occupied by the Marie Foster charity.

Mr Philip Dunne: The decision as to whether healthcare should be commissioned from this site rests with Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group. The ultimate disposal strategy which NHS Property Services (NHSPS) will pursue will, of course, depend upon this decision. NHSPS remain in discussion with the local planning authority on a pre-application basis based on a residential redevelopment of the site, and are awaiting feedback from the latest discussions. The aim of NHSPS is to be in a position to market this site as soon as possible if it were to be declared surplus in whole or part.

NHS: Private Sector

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS patients were transferred to a private hospital to undertake elective surgery in each year since 2010-11.

Mr Philip Dunne: Data is not available in the format requested.

NHS: Land

Mrs Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS England on enabling NHS bodies to retain ownership of land and property that is not needed for healthcare purposes but could potentially derive a rental income.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Government is committed to ensuring that National Health Service property is used in a way that ensures the best possible services for patients, the best value for taxpayers in freeing additional resources for reinvestment in new facilities and services, and which supports wider housing objectives, including by freeing surplus NHS land sufficient for 26,000 homes by March 2020.It is for individual NHS land owners - predominantly NHS trusts and foundation trusts - to decide whether to sell surplus land outright or whether to pursue alternative models which might include part of full retention of ownership and the derivation of an associated income scheme. These considerations will be based on their local needs and circumstances and will need to support NHS organisations’ requirements to secure best value for money.

NHS: Land

Mrs Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to ensure that the proceeds of any land sale by the NHS are subsequently used in the local NHS in that area.

Mr Philip Dunne: It is the Department’s policy that, where land or buildings are owned by a hospital provider trust (both National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts), the full capital receipt is retained by that organisation to reinvest in the NHS in that local area. Proceeds from the sale of properties owned by NHS Property Services are pooled nationally and investments directed to where it is most needed by patients. Reinvestment decisions will be subject to business case approvals and due process. Further information is available at:https://improvement.nhs.uk/resources/capital-regime-investment-and-property-business-case-approval-guidance-nhs-trusts-and-foundation-trusts/

Travel: Vaccination

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to NHS trusts and other bodies to ensure equal provision of access to pre-travel immunisations.

Nicola Blackwood: The National General Medical Services contract regulations state that all general practitioner contractors providing vaccines and immunisations must provide them to all patients, as specified within the relevant Statement of Financial Entitlement (SFE). The SFE supports the regulations and outlines the travel vaccinations required for patients who intend to travel abroad. Contractors who offer and provide immunisations as part of additional services must follow the guidance and information set out in the information against infectious disease (the Green Book). In addition the National Travel Health Network and Centre provides advice and guidance to general practitioners and independent providers about all travel vaccinations.

General Practitioners: Greater London

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) general medical services, (b) personal medical services and (c) alternative provider medical services contracts were issued for GP surgeries in (i) Hampstead and Kilburn constituency and (ii) in London in each year since 2013.

David Mowat: NHS England advises that there have been no General Medical Services (GMS), Personal Medical Services (PMS) or Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contracts procured in the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency since 2013. NHS England has also confirmed that there have been no GMS or PMS contracts procured across the 32 London clinical commissioning group (CCG) areas for core general practitioner (GP) services since 2013. For APMS contracts across London, the numbers are as follows: 2013: 10 APMS contracts were issued (mostly by the outgoing primary care trusts).2014: Nine APMS contracts were issued.2015: Six APMS contracts were issued.2016: 10 APMS contracts were issued.2017: 0 APMS contracts have been issued so far, but 15 are currently under procurement. The above figures exclude short-term caretaking contracts. Such contracts are included in the figures as and when the substantive contract is procured. The figures consist of a mix of new procurements and re-procurements of existing services where either the contract has expired or has been terminated. The figures also include contracts procured to provide core GP services. This would not include contracts provided by CCGs for non-core GP services such as community service or out of hospital services.

Soft Drinks: Sugar

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to encourage soft drinks companies to reduce the amount of sugar in their products.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government announced a soft drinks industry levy, which will be paid by the producers and importers of added sugar soft drinks to encourage them to remove added sugar from their products. Any drinks that remain out of scope of the levy will be included in Public Health England’s sugar reduction programme.

Women and Equalities

Civil Partnerships

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2017 to Question 67372, on civil partnerships, if she will set out (a) how and (b) within what timeframe the Government intends to undertake its assessment of the impact of equalisation of civil partnerships between same and different sex couples, in accordance with the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Steinfeld and Another v Secretary of State for Education (2017); and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: As the Government has said previously, we carried out a consultation on the future of civil partnerships in 2014. The review found that there was no clear consensus on the future of civil partnerships. Given the lack of any consensus, the Government did not change the Civil Partnership Act 2004.The decision not to change the law was judicially reviewed last year and the Government won in the High Court. The Court of Appeal recently dismissed an appeal against the High Court judgment and confirmed that the Government’s approach is lawful.We welcome the Court’s ruling. We will carefully consider this judgment and its implications before deciding on our next steps.We understand that the claimants in this case have requested an appeal of the Court’s decision.